After 2,000 Years, a Croatian Port Town Still Seduces

The Church of St. Donat is among the many historical artifacts of three millenniums in Zadar.Credit
Carly Calhoun for The New York Times

ZADAR may be Croatia’s most underrated destination. This Roman-era city on the northern Dalmatian coast — where a non-euro economy is easier on the dollar — has a youthful zeal, a rich architectural legacy and easy access from various points in Europe, thanks to carriers like Ryanair, SkyEurope and Germanwings. There are dozens of nearby islands to explore, and an hour or so drive from Zadar takes you to no fewer than five national parks, where you’ll find lakes, waterfalls, mountains and secluded wilderness areas.

But you may just want to stay put in Zadar for a few days and check out the city’s architectural treasures, which span some 2,000 years. Begin with the Forum, a football-field-sized public square designed in the first century B.C. Encircling it are subsequent outcroppings of history: the ninth-century Church of St. Donat, the 11th-century St. Mary’s convent, an Orthodox church built upon a Roman temple and the St. Anastasia Cathedral — Dalmatia’s largest — begun in the 12th century.

The Romans were so smitten with Zadar — the Old Town is a 400-by-1,000-meter peninsula (about 100 acres) framed by Adriatic islands — they gave it municipium status, the second highest among cities. Today, a population of about 75,000 — most of whom live on the newer, mainland side, which can be reached by a pedestrian bridge or by waving down the boatman of Zadar, whose family has rowed folks across the harbor for centuries — shares that affection.

The inhabitants also meld a progressive spirit with respect for a tumultuous past: oppressive Venetian rule, the constant threat of Turkish attack, 65 percent of the city obliterated in World War II and heavy shelling during the war of 1991-95.

On a visit last fall, I walked through the Old Town — a pedestrian-only, fishbone layout — along the stone-tiled main drag known as Kalelarga. Among the Renaissance, Baroque and medieval architecture, signs of modernity stood out: Adidas, Benetton and Terra Nova shops; cafe-bars thumping with midday trance music while Croats sipped coffee, grappa and wine.

Still, one is always reminded of history. Before a meeting with the mayor on Narodni trg, or People’s Square, where folk dancers celebrate the region’s heritage all summer, I passed through the chic stone-and-glass Cafe Lovre. Nonchalantly tucked in the back, for anyone to stroll into with their cup of kava, was the Romanesque 11th-century St. Lawrence Church.

“This town is 2,700 years old,” said Zivko Kolega, Zadar’s mayor, who also held the position during the Yugoslav war of the 90s. “It was a strong Roman town. It was the connection point between Constantinople and the West for Charlemagne. It has the oldest university in Southeast Europe — more than 600 years old. This city has been destroyed so many times, but we always come back stronger.”

But the city’s strategy for the future, according to Dr. Kolega, who is a surgeon, isn’t merely to dig up the past. Fully recovered from the war, when it was isolated from Croatia for more than a year, and with money coming in for public works, Zadar is flush with the telltale signs of a burgeoning hot spot, including the recent opening of the four-star Hotel Bastion and a sports complex. A new port is in the works for 2012. By the end of this year, a waste-water treatment system will be enhanced, in hopes of making Zadar one of the cleanest seaside cities in Europe.

Zadar — which is seeking heritage-site status of its historic center from Unesco — possesses a combination of Split’s ancient, blue-collar moxie and Dubrovnik’s well-heeled, outdoor-museum aura. Like those Dalmatian cousins, Zadar is still most famous for an embarrassment of historical and architectural riches. The newly remodeled Archeological Museum has more than 100,000 pieces from the Paleolithic period to the 11th century.

Next door, at St. Mary’s — a three-nave church founded in 1066 — is perhaps Zadar’s most valuable collection. Hidden by resident Benedictine nuns during wartime (including the last decade), the permanent exhibition is awash in Byzantine-era gold and silver, and includes paintings, reliquaries, crosses and embroidery spanning 1,000 years.

My first break from sightseeing in the Old Town was at the Garden, which the UB40 drummer James Brown and a British music producer, Nick Colgan, opened four years ago. The outdoor lounge sits atop the town walls and combines comfortable daybeds, a terrace overlooking the water, and top international D.J.’s.

“Geographically, I think Zadar is perfect,” Mr. Colgan said. “This is new territory. Zadar’s on the cusp and the kind of place you find rather than being told about.”

You’ll also find the Arsenal, a converted 18th-century Venetian military warehouse where restaurants, a cafe, a nightclub and boutiques intersect to create something of a high-end community center that is unusual for this part of Europe.

Photo

Credit
The New York Times

I grabbed a terrace seat at the Brazil Bar, ordered a local Karlovacko beer and relaxed while looking out to the Riva, the seaside promenade on the western side, where families, lovers and locals walk, gossip and assemble for Zadar’s sunsets.

“Because of all that’s happened over the years, people here appreciate what we have: the sea, fresh-grown food and fish,” said Mia Burcul, a Zadar native, after I’d struck up a conversation at the bar. “We don’t need McDonald’s. We have our history and stones.”

But Zadar is not all “history and stones.” The Sea Organ — combination art, musical architecture and science project — on Zadar’s northwestern point, won the 2006 European Prize for Urban Public Space. Under stone steps, which disappear into the water, 35 pipes continually blow the notes of an unpredictable concert based on the sea’s undulations and the ensuing air pressure.

Last year, the point welcomed another gutsy piece of permanent art: “Greeting to the Sun,” in which a representation of the solar system is futuristically illuminated by photovoltaic cells inlaid into and stretched out along the promenade. Both installations sit below ground level, seamless with their surroundings.

Which is what Nikola Basic, the architect of both the Sea Organ and “Greeting to the Sun,” intended. Zadar, he said “is like a palimpsest — an old parchment with old inscriptions being erased and new ones inscribed.”

“But the old ones are always perceivable,” he added. “Even where it is invisible, like in the palimpsest metaphor, we know it had existed.”

SEASIDE HISTORY AND RELAXTION

WHERE TO STAY

The 28-room Hotel Bastion (Bedemi zadarskih pobuna 13; 385-23-494-950; www.hotel-bastion.hr), within the Old Town’s medieval walls, is classically furnished and has a full wellness center. Doubles start about 181 euros, $288 at 1.59 to the euro.

Across the harbor, Villa Hresc(Obala kneza Trpimira 28; 385-23-337-570; www.villa-hresc.hr) has three floors of suites and spacious rooms — all newly renovated and with Wi-Fi; some have sea views and terraces. Rooms, with breakfast, in July and August, from 120 euros.

Konoba Skoblar (Trg Petra Zoranica b.b.; 385-23-213-236) is a trattoria specializing in grilled fish and seafood, which with half a liter of wine costs around 250 kunas, about $52 at 4.75 kunas to the dollar.

The terrace at Seafood Restaurant Fosa (Kralja Dmitra Zvonimira 2; 385-23-314-421) overlooks the romantic Fosa Harbor. Expect high-end seafood and Croatian wines. A meal for two with drinks is 500 to 600 kunas.

The Brazil Bar (Prilaz hrvatske citaonice 1; 385-91-208-5561) is a tranquil bar open day and night with a terrace near the Riva and the Sea Organ.

The Garden (Bedemi zadarskih pobuna b.b.; 385-23-250-631; www.thegardenzadar.com) combines bohemian chic with an outdoor lounge area atop the city walls.

The Arsenal (Trg tri bunara; 385-23-253-820; www.arsenalzadar.com) is a one-stop shop for fashion, drinks, food, art and live shows.

Maya Pub (Liburnska obala 6; 385-23-251-716), on the harbor, is a cafe by day and dance club at night.

A version of this article appears in print on , on page TR5 of the New York edition with the headline: After 2,000 Years, a Port Town Still Seduces. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe